


Prince of the Clan

by peppermint_mom



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Under The Sea, Clan Ruler!Imogen, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, General!Alec, Getting Together, Happy International Mermaid Day, Kinda Parent Trip Influence, Mermaid!Alec, Mermaid!Imogen, Mermaid!Izzy, Mermaid!Jace, Mermaid!Madzie, Mermaid!Magnus, Mermaid!Max, Mermaid!Raphael, Prince!Jace, Raphael is Magnus' Son, Underwater Wizard!Magnus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-29
Updated: 2018-03-29
Packaged: 2019-04-14 19:57:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14143398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peppermint_mom/pseuds/peppermint_mom
Summary: Jace just got his crown from Imogen and does not know how he feels about it.





	Prince of the Clan

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kimmy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimmy/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Title: Jace Herondale's Underwater Adventure
> 
> (now with fanfart: [merman jace](https://takaraphoenix.tumblr.com/image/172419278356) by the wonderfully talented takara phoenix. i am honored for your art to be of a story by your humble servant. thank you. *bows*)

“Grandmother, I am going out!”

Imogen looked up from her official stone tablet as she watched her grandson swim around the living room to get his seaweed satchel and stuff it with food and small bags for collectibles. He put the strap of the satchel over his head and swam around with it next to his body to get use to the feeling of the bag being there. Swimming in circles until he was satisfied, he explained why he was so excited.

“I can see that, guppy.” Imogen said, smiling as her grandson twirls around.

“I just thought I would let you know, so you would not send the Seahorse Knights after me again.” Jace reminded his grandmother, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Ah, that.” Imogen abandoned her tablet on her chair and swam up to Jace. “I was just worried about you. I just got you back, Jace, and I want to make sure you are safe and protected because I could not save you the first time. No, don’t shake your head. This isn’t a do over, but I am trying to make up for all of the time missed out on your life so far.” Imogen squished Jace’s face between finned hands.

Jace sighed. “I understand, Grandmother, but with how many clan names I have had, over the years, and how fast they change, I need more time to adjust to being a part of the Herondale Clan, not just the clan leader’s  _grandson_.”

Imogen smiled softly. “I get that as well, guppy. I just… don’t wish to be over-bearing and suffocating because you can take care of yourself and have been since before I came along.”

“It’s fine, Grandmother. I just haven’t had someone who cared enough to keep me safe and who was a  _real_  parental figure. I’m just getting use to the idea, to be honest.”

Imogen hugged Jace, fine that her grandson still did not hug her back just yet. “Ah, one more thing before you leave.”

She swam away from Jace and dug around where she had been sitting to find a present she had received from the blacksmith. After moving a different stack of tablets, she found the box the messenger had given to her this morning. She swam back over to Jace, handing over the small, flat box to her grandson.

“Go ahead,” she nudged Jace with her blue tail. “You can open it.”

Jace gulped and open the box. Inside, a thin, golden head piece sat of a bed of soft, sea coral, embroidered with the royal crest. Jace gentle traced the curve of one of the twin swirls of the front of the crown, the swirl mirrored with space between.

“I know you wear the ring with the Herondale crest on the pearl necklace you wear, but I thought you should have the status symbol as well as the familial one.” Imogen motioned to her own head where an identical crown rested, but silver and with pearl chains bracketing her face. “Go head,” she nudged Jace again with her tail. “Try it on.”

Jace just stared at the crown as if it would bite him if he even dared to touch it. Imogen pulled the crown from the box and placed it on Jace’s head, where the swirls met on his forehead. She swam back to see if it was tilted and paused. Jace looked so small with his shoulders hunched inward as he lowered his head to watch his fingers fidget. His pale golden tail moved from side to side to keep him floating in jerky movements.

Imogen swam to be in front of her grandson and lifted his head with a finger. “It looks beautiful, guppy. Compliments your hair and tail nicely and makes your eyes shine.” She took the box from his hands.

Jace laughed. “Thank you, Grandmother.”

Imogen shooed Jace away with one hand as she got back comfortable with her stone tablet in her lap as she sat down in her chair. “Now, you may leave, guppy. Have fun on your adventures.”

“Of course, Grandmother.” Jace bowed and with a smirk, left the palace with a swift twist of his tail.

/line break\

“Alec, spar with me.”

Alec turned toward the voice of his parabatai, as Jace swam toward the arena. Alec had on his specially made battle armor: his chest plate, his tail plate, and his bracers. His bow in hand and quiver full of arrows with red fish fins. Alec seemed to be in one of his “how to properly protect yourself while in battle” moods because he is using Izzy to diagram how to watch all around during a battle, to help other fish comrades fighting side-by-side.

Alec stopped mid-sentence of one of his descriptions as Jace swam into the center of the arena, circling Alec while repeatedly asking to spar. The mer-children giggled as Alec turned with Jace, repeatedly telling him that he had a class to teach. Izzy laughed and swam toward the spinning pair of parabatai.

“If you would like Alec, I could teach your class, so our Crown Prince could spar with his Parabatai and General.”

Alec stopped spinning to talk to sister. “Who would show off the diagrams of the stances and the–”

Izzy waved a hand in front of Alec’s face. “That’s what Max is here for!”

Max swam out of the crowd of eager students. “No, I’m here to learn.”

Jace stopped spinning around Alec and smiled at Max. “No better to learn than to do. Right, Parabatai?”

Alec just sighed. “Fine, but only light contact with you, Prince Jace.”

Jace grabbed Alec’s hands and spun in a circle. “I’ll take what I can get, General.” Winking, Jace turned to address the crowd of mer-children. “Learn all you can Izzy because there will be a quiz afterwords and I want everyone to pass!”

“Yes, Crown Prince!” The mer-children echoed eagerly as they watched Izzy begin to talk and use Max for diagramming the stances. Jace pulled Alec away from the scene toward at private area of the arena. Stopping once in private, Alec noticed how fidgety Jace was with his satchel.

“What do you really want, Jace?”

Jace gulped and open up his satchel. “Just close your eyes for a second, okay?”

Alec furrowed his eyebrows, but complied away. He knew that his parabatai did not like surprises when given to him, though sweet and thoughtful. The reason why Jace would ask Alec to close his eyes before doing whatever he did with whatever was in satchel had to do with trust, not surprise. Jace knew that Alec would not peak until Jace told him to open his eyes.

“You can… open your eyes now.”

Alec’s eyes flew open and took in the details of Jace. His seaweed satchel now laid on the ground with the flap closed. Jace smoothed over his pale golden scales of his tail with one hand while the other fingered with Horendale ring on the end of the pearl necklace he always wore.

At first, Alec did not notice anything different until he swam closer and saw the golden head piece in Jace’s hair. His eyes widened as he swam in a small circle around before stopping in front of Jace. He gently moved the crown to where the swirls would be resting against Jace’s forehead.

Jace laughed at the light feeling of Alec’s finger against his hair and skin. “I haven’t put it on much since I got it, this morning.”

Alec swallowed. “That’s fine, just practice in the mirror until then.”

“I’d rather have someone help make sure that it is straight before I leave.”

Alec caressed Jace’s cheek. “If you want to go and see Magnus, we could have him cast a spell to make it where you can just put the crown on and the magic would right the crown where it is supposed to.”

Jace snorted and rolled his mismatched eyes. “Because the High Warlock has nothing better to do?”

Alec rubbed his thumb against Jace’s cheek. “It would be an absolute honor for Magnus to do anything for the Crown Prince, but if you don’t believe me, let’s go ask him.”

Alec reached out his hand toward him as Jace pulled the head piece back off and put it into his satchel. Jace place the strap of the satchel of his head to wear it before he looked up at Alec. Hesitantly, Jace put his hand in Alec’s and they swam, hand-in-hand out of the arena.

/line break\

Magnus was working really hard on making this poison so scales could grow back healthy and polished, quicker and faster than normal. He knew that Alec lost many of his scales while sparring with the younglings. The guppies not knowing how to hold the stone weapons correctly and end up hurting themselves or Alec or both.

He used his one of his eight tentacles to hold up the magic recipe book while another one stirred a little pot full of boiling ingredients. He used his other tentacles to reach for ingredients and let the warlock stand above the small pot his was working with. Magnus used his hands to add pitches and drops into the pot, where each addition of ingredients made the pot emit smoke of a different color.

Magnus was getting ready to add something very delicate to the concoction bubbling away in the pot. Too much made the position become imbalanced and react violently. Not enough made the position ineffective and useless. Very carefully, Magnus took his dropper into hand to gently add three drops to the pot.

Magnus felt two mer-people pass through the wards he placed down at the beginning of his cave. He recognized one of the signatures, a beautifully tall merman with a fiery red tail that matched his fiery attitude. Alec, the General of the recently found Crown Prince. The other one had a mer-person’s energy that glowed a pale gold.

Once in the his main work space, Magnus looked up to see who was in his cave. Alec swam forward before the other merman followed, pressing a hand on his satchel. Alec smiled slightly and gently pushed the other to be in front of Alec, for Magnus to see. The other merman did not seem to like being the center of attention, but was pleasantly pretty with blonde hair and mismatched eyes. He had the same marking as Alec did. Pretty and a Shadowhunter.

“What are you here for, Alexander? My position isn’t ready for you yet.” Magnus looked over his book at the merpeople in his cave.

“I’m here to ask you for a favor.” Alec said, as he swam forward, closer to the pot.

Magnus raised a brow. “The last time you said that, I was almost banished.”

The mismatched eyes widened as he looked to Alec, but Alec waved it off. “Not what you’re thinking, Jace. It was that other time.”

The other merman, Jace, just nodded, looking some what relieved at the clarification.

Magnus stared at Alec, but Alec just shook his head. “My favor is for my friend here.” Alec motioned towards Jace, who fidgeted with his satchel.

“I’m not killing anyone.”

Jace’s eye widened again, “What? I–What?”

Alec rolled his eyes. “He’s joking. He can’t kill people. He just makes the poison to use on the people.”

“Okay, but is it wise to show the main poison source to your Crown Prince?”

Magnus promptly dropped the dropper into the pot and blew up the potion. Alec coughed and waved the smoke away while Jace looked stunned at the little pot. Magnus rubbed the black smudges from his face, using a little bit of magic to clean up his mess.

“I’m sorry that your Royal Highness had to see that. Normally, I only blow things up once a century.” Magnus said and bowed at the waist.

Jace just waved his hand. “Just as long as you don’t blow me or my General up, it’s fine.”

Magnus stood and looked at Alec, who still had black smudges on his scales, hands, and face. Magnus found a rag and, with a tentacle, wiped off Alec’s face and scales. Alec blushed and pulled the rag away to clean himself up with.

“So,” Jace said as he opened his satchel and took out the head piece of the Crown Prince. “Can you put a spell or charm or something on this thing to where every time I wear it, it’s on correctly?”

Magnus smiled. “Of course, Your Highness. I would be honored.” Magnus bowed again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy International Mermaid Day! (come yell at me on [tumblr](https://soft-yoongi-ssi.tumblr.com/) about mermaids, malace, and/or soft jace aesthetics.)


End file.
